Back In Time
by TheBoglies
Summary: A new story by maddie!
1. Part 1

Back in time…or was it a dream ?

It was a very hot day. I was driving through the Scottish landscape and didn't know where exactly I was. My shirt was wet of the sweat. I was feeling sweaty over my whole body.

Dark clouds were appearing. It started raining. From far away I heard a thunderstorm coming closer. It seemed to be a very big thunderstorm. Somewhere between the hills I saw some towers of a castle. Maybe I could ask to hide there and wait till the storm was over. But who knows, in castles mostly they're living eccentric old men with eccentric old butlers.

Within some minutes I could hardly see where I was driving. It was pouring. The thunder was becoming heavy. It was the one flash after another. I decided to stop but there was no possibility to get of the road. There were green walls at both the side of the road.

At once the thunder didn't go over. It was just like it got the same rhythm.

Tadum tadum tadum...

It was more like the sound of a lot of horses who are galloping that I heard.

I saw something coming closer to me. Something very dark. The noise was getting louder and louder. I was so scared. I tried to drive the car to the edge of the road. But there was that wall. That dark thing was coming closer and closer. I couldn't avoid it anymore.

I heard a crash and everything was getting dark around me.

When I woke up again I had an awful headache. And it was like I was shaken through eachother. I opened my eyes and realised that I was sitting in a coach with horses before it.

I was feeling sick and miserable. I could hardly breath. When I looked at myself I saw I was wearing an oldfashioned travel costume. I looked at my hands and saw I was wearing gloves in the same color as the costume, dark blue. I was feeling at my head and hurted my hands at the hat I had on it.

What happened ? It was just like I was back in time somewhere at the end of the 19th Century !

It hurted everywhere. I feel something in my back. I think it was a steel of a corset. That was the reason of course I could hardly breath, I was constricted in that corset. How uncomfortable are these clothes. Can't believe women can wear them.

Looking outside I saw we were coming closer to a castle. I saw a young men standing outside. He was wearing a dark costume and a big hat on his head. When the coach stopped he looked into my way. I frightened. He had very dark brown eyes and was looking angry to me. But he didn't take his eyes of me and within some moments the angry look changed into a wee smile.

At once an old man was coming out of the castle. With a grim on his face he shouted to the young man

" Archibald, how could you ! I heard you've left your fiancee ! And you know that her father is a very rich man, we could use his money for the castle ! "

The young man answered also angry to him " Father, you know Justina couldn't get used to here, she's really a city girl and didn't want to live in this Scottish area. And I realised that I didn't love her enough. Should you really want me to marry a wife that I don't love at all ? "

The old laird answered with a grim.

" Did you love mother when you're married her ? " Archibald asked again. The father didn't answer at all and in the meantime both the men saw my coach.

The coachman jumped of the box and opened the door for me. The old laird came to me.

" Lady MacTavish, so you're arrived yet ! Welcome to Glenbogle ! "

_'So that's the name of this beautiful castle. How can I come out of this coach without falling over this long dress ?'_

The young man came to me and was holding his arm before me so that I could lean on him. With a smile I thanked him and again I realised how gorgeous he is. When I was standing on the ground I looked around to the beautiful garden and tried to take a deep breath.

" Golly " , the old laird said to the coachman, " ask Duncan to help with the luggage of Lady MacTavish "

"Aye, your lairdship " Golly answered. But before he could drive away with the coach a young man with red hair and wearing a kilt arrived from around a corner of the castle. It was just like he heard someone was calling his name. He was looking very shy. Golly asked him to take the luggage of the coach and so he did.

_'Was that really all mine all those suitcases ? Did I take so many clothes with me ? I didn't realise that I had so many things ? '_

Duncan tried to take all the suitcases with him in one time, but he didn't succeed in it. He was doing a bit clumsy and at once he let one fall. The suitcase bursted open and a lot of silk was coming out of it. I wanted to go to help him but a light pression of a hand on my arm let me stop. I looked beside me to Mr.Archibald and without words he let me know that I had to stay with him.

" Let us go inside, my wife is waiting for you " the old Laird said. Inside the house a pretty old lady was coming to me with open arms and kissed me.

" Hello Alexandra, that's a long time ago you've been here. Let me have a look at you, oh you're still looking very pretty. You must be tired after that long trip from Glasgow to here. Ewan ! " she shouted.

A young butler came into the hall. " Yes mylady " he said with a bow in my direction.

"Ewan can you show Lady MacTavish where here room is, she wants to rest. Take your time my dear " she said again to me " We're having dinner at eight, so you can rest some hours. "

_'I tried to walk up the stairs but it wasn't easy with that long dress, God what should I feel happy I can take that thing out !'_

" So mylady, this is your room and Annie is your servant during the time you stay here "

A young girl made a curtsy for me.

_'How courteous everyone is for me, it's just like I'm a princess'_

" Shall I help you with taking your dress off mylady, so you can take a rest and within some hours I shall prepare your bath " I nodded to her and thanked her. I tried to take of that dress alone but now I could believe why women needed servants in this time. It wasn't possible at all to change alone with all those knots and bows.

I was glad to lie down on the bed and be alone for a while. My head was still hurting. I was trying to remind what happened with me, but the only thing I saw before me were the dark brown eyes of Archibald before I was falling asleep.


	2. Part 2

Part 2.

Waking up the sun was shining in my room and Annie was putting my dresses and other clothes in the wardrobe.

"Oh you're awake mylady, did you sleep well ? "

"Yeah thanks, where's the bathroom ? "

"Just overthere, but I shall help you with taking your bath mylady "

"But... I can do that alone...the toilet, that's what I'm looking for " I answered her.  
Annie got a red blush on her face and giggled.

" Sorry mylady, that's overhere " and she showed me a door in the wall I didn't notice before.  
I opened it and saw the most oldfashioned toilet I've ever seen before. I had to take a lid of something that looked like a wooden chair and didn't find a pull at all.

Some moments later I could enjoy the warmth of a bath and Annie was washing my hair.  
Coming out of the bath I wrapped a big towel around me and went back to my room, which was next to the room where the bath was standing.

I looked out of the window and saw Archibald who was talking to another young man who just jumped of a horse. Now he wasn't wearing a hat and I could admire his dark hair. Again my heart was beating faster. That other man was also looking very handsome, he was a big taller.

"Who's that ? " I asked Annie.

" Oh that's mr. Paul, he's the halfbrother of Mr. Archibald. He arrived about half a year ago and it seemed Mr. Hector is his father. You can believe we were all surprised and certainly Lady Molly. It took a long time before she accepted him, but he's a very nice man. I heard that he's gonna engage himself this week. "

"And Mr. Archibald...is he engaged or married ? " I tried, even though I remembered what I have heard at the moment I arrived.

" Mr. Archibald, no he isn't.It's just over with his fiancé lady Justina. She lives in London and couldn't get used to the Scottish climate and way of life. She was a haughty lady, I didn't like her at all. Oops, sorry " Annie was holding her hand before her face and giggled. " Now I'm talking gossip and I'm not allowed to do that "

I smiled to her " Never mind Annie, we all do that sometimes "

She walked to the wardrobe and asked me which dress I wanted to wear that night.  
"the yellow one or the salmon dress ? " I looked at both the dresses with my mouth open.

_'Do I have to wear that ? It's just like there isn't a front on it ! Almost my whole breast would be showed completely in that dress !'  
_

"Euhh the salmon one " I said but didn't know for sure.  
And again the changing started, first the corset and underclothes. Annie saw at my face that she hurted me and untied the knots a little bit.

Afterwards she started to comb my hair. I looked in the mirror.

'Is that me ? I'm looking totally different ! I'm a real lady with my hair on that way '

There was a little knock at the door. " Mrs. MacTavish ? Dinner is ready to be served, everyone is waiting for you " I heard Ewans voice.

" Just a moment " Annie replied to him.

Some moments later I was standing at the top of the stairs and looked at aswell Mr.Archibald and Mr. Paul who were both waiting downstairs for me. I had to do two things. I couldn't get my eyes of Archibald and had to look out with that dress that I didn't end downstairs in his arms.

_'Well I wouldn't mind to end in his arms'  
_

Arrived downstairs where the two men were watching me all over my body to admire my dress, Archibald was holding again his arm for me. I accepted it and laid my hand on his arm. A shock was going through me when I touched him. For a short moment we looked eachother in the eyes and I almost swooned under that dark look.

" Hello Mrs. MacTavish, I think we've never met before, I'm Paul Bowman " the other man introduced himself.

"Hello Mr. Bowman, nice to meet you " I smiled to him. In the meanwhile a pretty young blond woman arrived in the hall wearing the clothes of a housekeeper. I looked at her and frightened of the anry look she gave to me. What have I done wrong ? I didn't know her at all !

Now Duncan arrived in the hall through the frontdoor and said hello to me with a big smile on his face. It was like it made the housekeeper more angry. On a snappish way she told him she needed him in the kitchen to help with serving dinner.  
"Aye, I'm coming Katrina " Duncan replied.

We walked into the direction of the dining room where Lady Molly and Laird Hector had already taken place at the table. Lady Molly was standing up and pushed her husband to do the same. With a grim and a sigh so he did.

"Oh you're looking so lovely my dear, please sit down right before me " I was sitting next to Archibald and Paul was sitting next to lady Molly. The old Laird was sitting at the top of the table.

I could feel the warmth of Archibald's leg so close to me. What was going on with me ?

" So, how do you feel now for the moment Alexandra " Lady Molly asked me " I think you're feeling very lonley now in that big house in Glasgow now you're husband has died "

_'My husband died ? I didn't know I was married, not even that I'm a widow ! '  
_

" Oh well, I'm fine. I can amuse myself " I didn't dare to talk too much and realised I had to watch out what I said.

"It was very crowdy at the funeral, and did they send his possessions back from America yet ? "

_'Which surprises could I expect more !' _

" Yes I got them back of course. It had taken a long time, a few months " It was the only thing I could invent to answer.

" So and tomorrow I suppose you want to visit Elisabeth, she arrived just back from France last week and when she heard you would visit us she was very delighted to see you "

" Lizzie, is she back ? " Archibald shouted " then you can expect me too tomorrow there. I want to see my little cousin Martha again !" Now he got an angry look from his father.

" Archibald , you know the name of your sister is Elisabeth. Those cuddle names you gave eachother when you were all young I don't want to hear anymore "

I was looking aside me and could imagine how he was feeling with such a father. Could he never smile then that old man ? Didn't he have feelings in his body ? Or maybe something happened in his life that made him that way ? Perhaps that other son...

Ewan the butler did come in and whispered something in Paul's ear. " Isobel ? Is she there ? Will you all excuse me please, my fiancé is waiting in the hall " he said before he was standing up.

" Oh yes, that reminds me dear " Lady Molly said " tomorrow there's a ceilidh for the engagement of Paul and Lady Isobel. We're all looking forward to it, aren't we Hector " she said now with a push and a smile in his direction.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, to give hands to lots of people who only come to drink and eat at my expense " he said on his grummy way.

No one replied to him and Archibald was looking to the ceiling rubbing his hands. Some moments later Paul came back into the dining room.

" Isobel had to go further and she's looking forward to meet you tomorrow " he said to me.

Katrina and Duncan were coming in with the soup, so we could start with dinner. Each time she was serving Archibald it was just like she was leaning against him. And when she was serving me she almost threw my plates before me.

_'Is there something going on between those two ? Or is she just a jealous type ? '  
_

After dinner was finished lady Molly arranged that I could use the coach to visit Elisabeth the other day.

That night I was falling asleep while dreaming that I was dancing in Archibald arms. Maybe tomorrow !


	3. Part 3

_Part 3  
_

The other day after breakfast I climbed into the coach. Golly had taken the open coach caus it was a sunny day. I was holding a parasol above me to protect myself against the sun.

_'Also a fashion of those days that I hated.__ You never saw a lady with a tanned skin'  
_

Elisabeth was living in a castle in a village a little bit further. When the coach stopped she came outside to say welcome. She was very delighted to see me.

" Lexie ! "

_'Lexie, was that how she called me ? ' _

She ran to me and hugged me. It was already hard for me to take a breath in those clothes, now I couldn't breath anymore.

" Hello Lizzie, how's life ? And how was your trip to France ? " A little girl came outside in a beauty of a dress. She's just like a little doll. " Hello Martha " I said and hugged her.

" Well we're all fine. Gerald is still in France for business, but I wanted to come back. But how is it with you ? You must feel very lonely now William died in that awful accident, or... is there yet another man in your life ? "

I became a little bit red in my face.

_'Things are coming always more clear to me, so William was the name of my belated husband'  
_

We spend the whole morning while walking and sitting in the garden. Little Martha was proudly walking behind her doll's pram and stopped sometimes to take the doll out of it to cuddle her.

Lizzie and I were talking about the trip to France. She has been in Paris and we were chatting about all the churches and famous things we both have visited in that big city. Afterwards Lizzie has been to the Cote d'Azur where Martha has been ill and Lizzie decided to come back home with her. Gerald, Lizzie's husband was still in France for business.

At noon at the moment we decided to go inside for having lunch we saw someone arrived on a horse.

"That's my brother Archie ! " Lizzie shouted.

_'Archie ?__ oh yes of course a cuddle name for Archibald '_

I was blushing. She saw it and said " Lexie, Lexie, don't tell me you're falling in love with my brother "

" Why ? I don't say anything, but...he's a very gorgeous man " I said.

Lizzie started smiling " Oh sure he is and he's very nice too " We didn't talk longer about him cause he was coming closer and opened his arms to catch up his little cousin who was running to him. He threw her a little bit in the air and caught her up again while he was cuddling her. Martha was giggling and talking a lot to him.

Then he put her down and came to Lizzie to kiss and say hello to her. With a hesitation then he gave me also a kiss on my cheek. I can't tell how I was feeling on that moment, but it was a happy feeling that I got from the top of my head to my toes.

He stayed with us for lunch and then said goodbye. We should met him in the evening for the ceilidh.

-----------------------------------------

That evening it was very crowdy at Glenbogle. Paul and Isobel where the sparkling couple. Everyone was dancing. I was watching at Archibald and his sister Elisabeth who were dancing together a reel. They were dancing in my direction and stopped right before me.

"So now it's your turn Lexie, I'm tired " Lizzie said while she was falling down in a chair and kicked of her shoes. I was looking in his eyes and started trembling when he took my hand into his.

The reel music stopped and the band started playing a slowwaltz.

"Shall we ? " he asked me, and I nodded yes. I got a feeling of being in heaven when we were dancing together. We didn't stop looking eachother in the eyes. It was like he was my dance partner forever. Not even one time we made a mistake in the waltz.

When the music stopped everyone was clapping hands for us. I saw that even the old Laird Hector was clapping with a smile on his face. My heart was beating very fast.

Archibald was holding his arm before me and I put my hand on it. "Shall we go for a walk outside ? " he whispered to me. I didn't say no to that.

Outside we were sitting on a bench and looked out over the loch. We were sitting very close, I could feel the warmth of his body next to me. At first we didn't say a word to eachother. Then he started telling me about his former fiancé Justina. How he met her in London and took her with him to his home. How awful she found the cold Scottish climate and missed the city life. Then she told him that she didn´t love him at all and only wanted him for the title he should inherit after his father should die. From that moment it was all over between them and he send her back to London.

During the whole time he was telling me this he was holding my hand into his. At once I started shivering a bit.

"Are you feeling cold ? " he asked and wrapped his arm around me. His head was very close to mine. I looked in his dark eyes and then to his mouth. He did the same. We were coming closer and closer and then he gave me a light kiss on my mouth. And again. And again. Then he kissed me very passionately.

Together we walked hand in hand back to the house were the party was coming to an end.

That night I was falling asleep with still the feeling of his lips on mine and in my dreams he was laying next to me with his arms around me.

--------------------------------------------------------

We spend a lot of time together during the next week.

At the day I had to go back to Glasgow he wasn't there. I was feeling very sad that he didn't say goodbye to me.

I climbed in the coach.

_'How quickly I got used to those long dresses.__ I could almost run at the end on the stairs with them and climb into the coach without falling !'  
_

My mood was the same as the weather, sad and grey, caus it was a rainy day. Duncan helped with the suitcases. I said goodbye to him. Even Katrina the housekeeper made a curtsy.

It seemed the last days Duncan and Katrina were falling in love. I saw at a certain moment he was giving her a pat on her back and she didn't push him away. She turned around and smiled to him, threating him to give him a pat back with the saucepan.

Golly climbed on the box and clacked with his tongue to spur on the horses. I waved to Molly, Hector and the others but the sad feeling didn't go over.

After a while I saw a horse approaching from far away. Should it be him ? I couldn't see it. My heart was beating faster.

At the other side I saw there was something coming closer to us in full speed. Our horses were galloping and Golly didn't say anything to them or didn't do anything to change them from direction. Didn't he see it at all ?

I would scream but my throat was very dry. There came no sound out of it.

I looked if I could see the man on the horse but he was disappeared. Then it wasn't him.

At once there was a crash. I thought I gave a loud scream and it became all dark before me.

-------------------------------------------

I was waking up, didn't know where I was. My whole body was hurting. I heard a voice from far away.

" Hello ! Are you allright ? " it was a mans' voice.

I tried to open my eyes and saw I was still in my car. I tried to move myself. My arms were hurting. But I could move my feet and legs.Thanks God for it !

" Hello ! Are you allright ?" the man tried to open the door of my car and succeeded in it after a while.

Then I looked in the most wonderful brown eyes I've ever seen. To be saved by such a handsome man, it happens only in dreams. Or was I dreaming ?

He took my hand. " Can you come out of the car or do I have to call an ambulance ? "

" No, I don't think so. If you help me to come out of it." He helped me to get out of the car. Standing on the ground my legs were trembling. Was it of the shock I got when he touched me or was it of the shock of the accident ?

" Wrap your arms around my neck then I take you to my car and bring you to my home "  
I was feeling in heaven to be close in his arms. I could smell his aftershave. He put me down in his car and walked to the other side to step into it.

"Oh sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Archie MacDonald and I live overthere in that castle, it's called Glenbogle. And who are you ? "

" My name is Lexie " I said and then he smiled to me. " Hello Lexie, welcome to Glenbogle "

When we were arrived at the castle it was just like I was coming home.

THE END.


End file.
